Oil burner



March 4, 1930. l H. s. PIERCE oIL BURNER Filed Jan. 26. 1928 Patented Mar. 4,1930

HoDesoN s. PIERCE, oF DE'iIwIT,A MICHIGAN, AssIGNon 'ro THE PANY, II'NLC., A CORPORATION 0F MICHIGAN oII. BURNER Application filed January 26, 1928. Serial 1\To. 249,535.

This invention relates to lm'eans'for passing air through revolvinghollow shafts suchL as, the shafts ofmotors wherein it is desirable to reduce the temperature-,of the shaft 5'within the motor, and is particularly applicable to a constructioniin which an oil duct extends through the hollowr shaft of a motor such as occurs in many conventionaldesigns of oill burning `apparatus and in which it is 1'0 desirable to prevent the oil in the duct from absorbing a material amount of heat from` the motor. y .l

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a simple Vand inexpensive means'for causing the iiow'of air through a rotating hollow shaft.

Another object is to provide means'for causing a flow of air through a rotating hollow shaft open at at least one end thereof,

'20 comprising the'provision of -outwardly ex tendingpassages connecting the interior of the shaft with theatmosphere exterior thereto whereby upon the rotation of the shaft the centrifugal-force acting on' the air in outwardly extending passages will cause air to be drawn in at the end of the shaft and discharged therefrom through the openings.

Another object is to providemeans for causing a iiow ofair through a hollow rotating shaft provided with an air displacing device fixed thereto'com V'rising passages co'nnecting the interior-of t e shaft with the low pressure area adjacent the air displacing device. A further object is to provide a means for preventing an excessive heat transfer to a liquid passing through a duct within a hollow motorshaft comprising the admission of air 40 to the center ofthe shaft and the provision of a centrifugal type of air displacing device connected-with the interior of the shaft whereby the suction created within the air displacing device will cause the air to be drawn through the shaft about the duct.

The above being among the objects of the present invention the same consists incertain lfeatures of construction and combinations of parts to be hereinafter-described with reference to theaccqmpanying drawing, and then claimed, having the above and other objects in view.

In the accompanying drawing: Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken centrally through an oil burning apparatus. J

corn sWIiiT4 coM- Although .the present invention is applicable to a wide variety of uses wherein it is desired to cause a fiow of air throu h aholf low rotating shaft, it'is particular yappli-A cable to oil burning apparatus of that conventional construction wherein an electricl motor is provided with an air displacing device and an atomizing cup secured to its shaft, the fuel being fed lto the cup through a tube or duct extending through the shaft of the motor which is made-hollow for that purposes. and accordingly a suitable embodiment of the present invention is shown in the accompanying drawing in connection with an apparatus of this type. n

In the construction shown in the accompanying drawing an oil burning apparatusis shown comprising a supporting frame member 10 which may be suitably secured over a suitable openingin a furnace or otherl heating apparatus and which is provided with an l inwardly extending casing ortion 11 to the inner end of which is suitab y secured by the b olts 12 and nuts 13 an' outwardly diverging ring like portion 14. To4

tending iange 21 to vwhich the casing or rame' 22 of anelectric motor is secured by means of bolts 2? and nuts 24. The late member 15 is provided with an enlarge central aperture 25. The member 17 is provided withI a pluralityA of openings 26through the walls therefor or the purpose of admitting airto the interior-of the same. A bandmember 27 provided with openings 28 therein spaced.

in matching relationship with respect, to the the outer face of the frame member 10 is secured a plate meml mov openings 26 is slidably positioned on the outer face of the member 17 over the openings 26 in order to control 'the eifective area of the Openings v26. v The electric motor is provided with bearing members 29 and 30, which rotatably support the hollow motor shaft 31 to which the armature 32 is fixed. r1`he shaft 31 extends into the interior of the member 17 where it is provided with a member 33 -secured thereto for'equal rotation therewith by means of a set screw such as 34 or other suitable means, the member 33 being provided with a central opening 34 in which the shaft 31 is received. To the inner end of the mem-y ber 33 is secured a fan 35 by clamping the same between such end and the collar member 36. A vaporizing cup 37 is secured to the inner end of the collar 36 by means of the screws 38 which extend through the bottom of the cup through the collar member 36, fan 35 and into the member 33, thus serving to hold all of these parts together in assembledfrelationship. 'Within the collar 36 is secured a short tubular member 39 projecting into the interior of the cup a short distance inwardly of the bottom thereof. Extending through the hollow interior of the shaft 31 in freely spaced relationship'with respect to the interlor of the same is a tube or duct 40, `it being extended from the rearendof the motor through the shaft 31, member 33 and into the interior of the tubular member 39 where it` terminates between the ends thereof. The forward end of the tube 40 is suitably journaled in the forward end Aof the member 33. Suitable packing such as 42 secured about the tubef40 within the member 39 by means of the nut 43 serves to seal the interior of the shaft 31 and member 33 against leakage to or from the interior ofthe cup 37 about the tube 40. The other end of the tube' 40 may be suitably connected to a control valve such as 44 to which a suitable fuel under pressure may be fed by a pipe such as 45. l Upon rotation of the motor air is drawn through the openings 26 by the fan 35"and is forced through the annular passageway 46 between the casing'ymember 14 and cup 37 The fuel from the-pipe 45 passes throughthe valve 44 and then through the tube 40 to the interior of the member 39 which because of its rotation throws the oil off of the free end thereof in the form of a film into the cup member 37. Because of the diverging relationship of the walls of the cu `p 37 the fuel disposed in the same is deposlted over the interior surface thereof in a thin film which is acted upon by centrifugah force and carried out to the open end of the cup where it is thrown o'of the same in a finely divided state into lthrou fh ltheannular passage, suitable means (not s own) being provided for igniting the resultantmixture of air and fuel. v

In constructions .of this type it isimporthe flow of air passingv tant that the fuel which is introduced to the vaporizing cup 37 is not allowed to reach a temperature before being thrown out of the same into thepath of the air such that the fuel will crack and free carbon be deposited upon the walls of the cup. For this reason it is preferable to introduce the fuel into the I heat losses in the motor which are transmitl ted to the shaft and raise the temperature thereof transfer heatto the fuel duct and materially increase the temperature of the fuel flowing through the same. As previously stated, it is the principal object of the present invention to provide means for causing a scribed in connection with the constructionv shown in the accompanying drawing, and

fiow of air through shafts such as dethis means as applied to the construction shown may be suitably accomplished as y follows.

A plurality of openings 47 are provided in the rear end of the motor casing 22 connecting theinterior ofthe shaft 31'with the atmosphere at this point. The member 33 ywhich rotates with the shaft 31 is provided with a plurality of" outwardly extending or radially opening 34 in the member 33 with the atmosphere exterior thereto at that` point. From this it will be seen that upon rotation of the motor together with its shaft 31 and the member 33, the air in the openings 48 will be affected bv the centrifugal action on the same disposed openings 48 connecting the and will be thrown outwardly, and that as v such air is thrown outwardly through the through the shaft 31 as described, ,it is preferable in the construction shown that the passages 48 terminate at their outer ends yin the low pressure area immediately back of the fan blades35 whereby the difference in pressure between suchlow pressure area and the atmosphere adjacent the outer ends of the openings 47 will exert an additional force on the air tocaiuse it toilow'through the shaft- 31. This same principle may be`applied to those constructions wherein a centrifugal fan is employedin place of the axial displacementptype of fan shown, the openings 48 in 48it isreplaced by air yfrom the such case opening into the low pressure area over the outer ends of the openings 48; This may be further increased by so positioning the surface 49 in respect to the plate member 15 that the air iowing through the casing is accelerated due to the restricted'opening 25.

lIt will be ap arent from the foregoing that the invention erein set out is capable of a wide variety -of uses and applications of which the construction shown inthe accompanying drawing may betaken as an illustration, it being readily apparent, for instance, that it will not always be necessary to provide a member suchas 33 on the shaft 31l but that where conditions ermit openings such as 48 may be formed effect the same results as herein pointedcout', and although but oneapplication of the present invention has beenpointed out its applications to other constructions .is readily apparent to those skiled in the art, and formal changes may be made inthe specific embodiment of the invention described without departing from the spirit or substance ofthe broad invention, the scope of which is commensurate with the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In combination, la casing, a motor supported at one end thereofprovided with a i hollow shaft, a vaporizingcup at the opposite end of said casing driven by said motor, and an air displacing device fixed on said shaft between said motor and said cup anddriven thereby, the interior of said shaft being connected with the' low pressure area adjacent said device whereby air will be drawn through said shaftupon rotation of said motor. i 2. In combination, a casing, an electrlc motor supported at one end thereof provided with a hollow shaft opento the air at one end,

-a member fixed to said shaft, an air displacing device secured'to said member within said casing, a vaporizing cup fixed to said member beyond said air displacing device from said motor, astationary oil tube extending through said shaft and discharging into said cup, said tube being spaced from the interlor walls of said shaft, and sealing means between said member `and said tube adjacent said cup, said member being provided w1th a plurality of openings connecting the space beirectly in the. shaft 31 to tween the interior'walls of said shaft and said tube with the exterior-surface of said member. 3. In an oil burner, in combination, a line of hollow shafting, a motor armature on vone end of lsaid shafting, a vaporizing cup. on the other end of said shafting, a fan on said shafting between said cup and armature, an oil duct extending through the bore of said shafting in spaced relation to the walls of said bore and adapted to discharge oil into said cup,

and openings in said shafting between said o fan and said armature connecting said bore with the lowpressure areaI back of said fan for causing air to be drawn through the bore of saidvshaftin about said duct.

4. In an oil urner, in combination, a line of hollow shafting, a motor armature carried ,at one end of said shafting, a vaporizing cup carried at the other end of said shafting, a

combustion air supplying fan carried by said line of shafting between said cup and said armature, and an oil ductl extending through said line of shafting in spaced relation to the lbore thereof and discharging into said cup,

said line of shafting being provided with openings therein connecting the bore thereof with the -low pressure area adjacent said fan whereby to cause a flow of air through said bore independently of said cup for cooling said armature and for limiting the heating ofpsaid oil duct.

5. In an'oil burner, in combination, a line of'hollow shafting, a motor armature carried at one end of said shafting, a vaporizing cupl carried at the other end of said shafting,

a combustion air supplying fan carried v by said line of shafting between said cup and said armature, and an oil duct extending through said line of shafting in spaced relajtion to the bore thereof and discharging into said cup, said line of shafting being` provided with anv enlargement'between saidfan and 4 said armature, Vsaid enlargement being provided with generally radially extending open-` ings therein connecting the bore of said shaftin with the air exteriorl thereto at a point ad]acent the low pressure area of saidfan whereby to cause a flow of air through said' shafting about said duct independently of said cup.

6. In an oil burner, in combination, a line of hollow shafting, a` motor armature carried maximum diameter, saidenlargement being providedmwith openings therein connecting said face with the bore of said shaft whereby air will be drawn through said shaft about said ductnot only by reason of the low pressure area adjacent said fan and the centrifugal action on the air in said openings, but

also by reason of the flow of air set up by j end thereof in spaced relation with respect to the bore of said shaft for delivering oil 'tosaid cup, and means sealing the space between said bore and said `duct adjacent said cup, said shaft being provided with general ly radially disposed openings between said motor and said fan whereby air will bev caused to flow through said shaft in said motor about said duct due to the centrifugal action on' the air insaid openings and due to the low' pressure area adjacent said fan.

8. In an oil burner, in-combination, a casing having an open end, a motor supported by said casing, a hollow shaft for said motor extending into said casing, a'niember secured to said shaft within said casing for equal rotation therewith, a vaporizing cup secured to the end of said member adjacent the open end of said cup, a fan secured to said member between said cup and said motor, an oil duct,

extending through said motor shaft and ter;v minating within said cup, said duct being spaced from the bore of said shaft, and means preventing the passage of air between said shaft and said duct into said cup, said member being provided with an opening connecting the bore of said shaft with the low pressure area adjacent said fan whereby to cause a low of air through said shaft independently y p* of said cup.

` 9. In an oil burner, in combination, a casing, a motor supported at one end of said casing and provided with a hollow shaft extending into said casing, a vaporizing cup supported from said shaft in the opposite end of said casing, a Wall in said casing between said cup and said motor restricting the free flow of air in said casing about said shaft' at that point, a fan secured to said shaft between said cup and said wa11,an enlarge ment on said shaft adjacent theipoint of restriction caused by said wall, said enlargement formed to provide a -low pressure area` adjacent a face thereof due to the iow of air at said point of restriction acting on said eri-y largement, said enlargement'being providedv i with openings connecting said low pressure area with the bore of said shaft whereby to cause a ow of air through said shaft, and an oil duct extending throughv said shaft in spaced relation to the" walls of its bore for discharging air into said cup and adapted to be cooled by'said flow of air. 'l

j, HoDGsoN s. PIERCE. 

